Secret Circle Ficlets
by lucidreams
Summary: This is a series of ficlets focused on the different characters in the Secret Circle trilogy and take place after the events of the books. May contain spoilers and rated for later chapters. Feedback and suggestions are welcomed.
1. Picking up the pieces

Nick normally wasn't up before dawn and it was unlike the blond man to be walking along the beach at this ungodly hour but here he was. A dark brown cable knit sweater kept out the chill of the early morning as he trudged through the sand. Ever since the coven's battle with Black John, Nick had found himself waking every morning at 5 a.m., usually after a bad dream that he could never remember. He dreamt about ocean storms and drowning men, about wild green waves crashing over his body. A sign maybe? Was he dreaming about the future? If it had been Cassie or another member of the coven having dreams like this, Nick might have said yes but he didn't have prophetic dreams. It wasn't his talent. _What exactly is your talent, Nick?_ A cynical voice silently inquired the witch. It certainly wasn't keeping the girl he loved, that's for damn sure, Nick thought as a pang went through his heart at the memory of Cassie. It wasn't magic either for Nick barely showed any interest in that like the other Crowhaven kids did. _What's the point?_ Nick thought as he often did when it came to magic. He'd rather fix something with his hands then use his so called magical talents.

_Great, did the universe wake me up early just so I feel shitty? I can do that during normal waking hours_, Nick inwardly grumbled before he realized that he wasn't alone on the beach. Just up ahead, sitting on the damp sand was a familiar blond head. It was Diana with her jean clad legs drawn up close to her body and her face buried in her lap. _Aw…crap._ In the past Nick might have pretended not see Diana and leave her to her tears. He was a firm believer in grieving alone but Nick had a feeling he knew why Diana was crying this morning. How could he not? Nick and Diana were in the same boat, both in love with people who had soul mates and could never love them back, not the way they needed those people to. Nick approached the blond girl silently; the whisper of moving sand the only sign of his approach but it was mingled with the sound of crashing waves. Without a word, Nick sat down next to Diana who finally realized she wasn't alone.

"Morning Diana, what are you doing here?" Nick inquired dryly.

"What do you think?" Diana replied in a snappish manner, surprising Nick. Her face quickly relaxed and she looked regretful. "I'm sorry Nick; I didn't mean to snap at you. I was just here to work on a charm", she gestured to a nearby piece of disturbed sand before wiping away a few stray tears. "I started looking at the ocean and then I started crying. Pretty pathetic, huh?" She looked completely unlike herself with her silky blond hair up in a ponytail and jewel green eyes that were red and glassy from crying. Normally Diana seemed so serene and in control of herself, so much stronger than most girls but Nick found he had trouble looking away from this new vulnerable version of the coven leader.

"Oh. No, no", Nick replied as he looked out over the waves. "Who doesn't cry at the sight of the ocean?" he added sardonically.

"I was crying because it reminded me of Adam", the witch curtly replied. "God, everything reminds me of him lately".

"Tell me about it. I haven't gone in my garage in the past week just because it reminds me of Cassie and when she first asked me out", Nick confessed. "I either get depressed as hell or feel like smashing shit". Diana looked at Nick in surprise but a sad smile crossed her lips.

"I forgot. I'm not alone in my grief", Diana began, following his gaze across the waves, "You and I are in the same boat. Left to pick up the pieces of our hearts while the other person finds a new love". Diana hated the bitter note in her voice and sighed to herself. "I don't hate them. I don't want to hate them but sometimes…" Diana shrugged.

"Sometimes you can't help it", Nick finished for her. Hating people wasn't hard for Nick. He had spent most of his childhood hating his own parents for dying so young, hating the other kids for being so damn happy, like Conant. Hating people for having more than he did. For Diana, this must be a new sensation, Nick realized. She had always been the nice, gentle girl in the neighborhood. The one who gave people like Nick and Faye a second chance. _But second chances run out and there's only so many times you can forgive people_, Nick thought, _before you become completely bitter._ Nick had become pretty bitter himself these past years and might have gotten worse if it had been for Cassie. The idea that Diana could become bitter bothered Nick.

"You know, it's okay to be angry Diana. You've been dating Conant since you were ten. That's a long time and now your relationships over because he's soul mates with someone else. That blows. You've got every right to be angry", Nick told her bluntly. "You just can't let it rule you life, trust me, I know. I spent a long time being angry".

"But you're not angry now?" Diana asked softly. The blond man looked at her, really looked at Diana. For years she had always been the innocent girl next door. Diana the good girl. Diana the virtuous. Diana, Adam's girlfriend. _But Diana's not Conant's girlfriend anymore_, part of Nick's mind whispered and he began to see just how beautiful Diana was when she was just herself.

Nick smiled, "No, not at this moment".


	2. Artemis and Athena

"I said goodbye to romance, yeah  
Goodbye to friends, I tell you  
Goodbye to all the past  
I guess that we'll meet,  
we'll meet in the end",

Deborah could hear the lyrics of the Ozzy Osbourne song through her walk man but she wasn't really hearing them, just as she wasn't really reading the history book laid open before her. Instead the curly haired witch was staring off at the library bookcases, day-dreaming and occasionally doodling on her cast. There were so many better things to be doing on a Sunday afternoon than to be at the public library studying but Deborah didn't have a choice. History was her worst subject and if Deborah failed then she would end up repeating the year. That was unacceptable. _I wonder if there's a spell for studying_. Probably but Deborah was damned if she knew it. _That's more like something Melanie would know…speak of the devil._ In the moment that Deborah had been thinking about her, Melanie had walked through the library door, her cheeks flushed and her auburn hair windswept.

Deborah watched Melanie but the grey eyed girl gave no indication that she saw Deborah as she made a beeline to the back of the library. The witch wasn't surprised to see the other girl at the library, it _was_ Melanie after all but she was surprised at how flustered Melanie looked. _Now why is she in such a hurry?_ Deborah closed the ignored history book and took off her headphones. Normally she didn't give a shit what the others were up to but ever since Faye's little fiasco with Black John Deborah had taken a more avid interest in what the others were up to. Plus, this was an excuse to ignore her schoolwork for just a little while longer. Once she threw her things into her backpack, Deborah made her way quietly to the back of the library. The rows of bookshelves obscured the petite girl and gave her an excellent vantage point to spy on Melanie. Dark brown eyes narrowed in on the books Melanie had tucked under her arm.

_Looking like what you are : sexual style, race, and lesbian identity_, Deborah silently read. _ Lipsticks and dipsticks, Sappho. School project?_ Deborah silently mused, her lips curling into a small smile. Maybe, maybe not but this intrigued Deborah. 

Since she was fourteen, Deborah had known she was different from the other girls in the Coven. While Faye and Susan grew obsessed with boys and Conant and Diana started dating, Deborah had started looking at the other girls. She had discovered her father's playboys earlier that year and realized that was what did it for her. Later experiments with Faye further proved what Deborah had known about herself. Standing here now and realizing that she might not be the only girl in the coven who liked girls titillated Deborah. It made her look at Melanie in a new light. 

Sure, she had noticed Melanie before. Deborah had seen the girls for most of her life and knew them well. She wasn't blind to Melanie but Deb had assumed that she was like the others. Her eyes followed Melanie, taking in her shortly cropped hair, her olive toned skin, and her long legs as Melanie sat down. Spying wasn't really Deborah's style though and she soon abandoned it for a more direct approach, like saluting over and taking the seat next to Melanie. "Hey Mel, what's up?"

Deborah's tone was lazy and causal but Melanie jumped slightly, as if Deborah had given her a shock. "Oh. Hi Deborah, what are you doing here?"

The curly haired girl smiled. _Ooo, subtle Melanie._ Out loud, she simply said, "Not much, studying for my history exam. You?" She grabbed one of the books with her good hand before Melanie could stop her. "Doing a little light reading? Lipsticks and dipsticks", Deborah read out loud before tossing it back on the table. "Any good?"

"I don't know", Melanie started, her usually cool, collected face flushed as she straightened up the books. "I just picked it up for an assignment. I haven't had a chance to read it".

Deborah's smile turned into a smirk. "Oh, _really?_ What's the assignment about? How to eat pussy?" It was priceless, the look of absolute shock that crossed Melanie's face as she stared at Deborah. The looks that Deborah was getting from the other patrons were pretty good too. One cold, hard stare was enough to make them look away though. Few people missed the Crowhaven kids.

Melanie regained some of her composure. "We are in public Deborah".

"No shit—"

"And I expect you to be more respectful of me than that", Melanie continued as though Deborah hadn't said a word. Her grey eyes were stern as they met Deborah's. The latter could have laughed in her face but decided against it. Melanie looked ready to blow up any minute now. Instead Deb satisfied herself with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you know about the Ancient Greeks?"

Melanie gave Deborah a suspicious look, her hand resting on the Sappho text. "A bit", she admitted. "Why?"

"My history exam's about the Greeks and if I do get a good mark I'll have to repeat the year again. You're the smartest witch in the coven, I thought maybe you could help. Maybe you know a spell". Deborah's expression grew more dower, surly almost. She was a prideful girl and admitting that she wasn't capable of passing the exam on her own pissed her off.

"Like a cheating spell?" Melanie inquired, her tone disapproving.

Deborah scowled. "Way to assume the worst about me Mel. Actually, I wanted something to help me study", _Bitch_ she thought, a little annoyed.

"Oh. I'm sorry Deb. I-"

"Whatever", Deborah murmured, getting ready to get up but Melanie grabbed her arm.

"No", she began seriously, "This isn't whatever. You're right, I assumed the worse and I was wrong to that. Let me make it up to you. I can help you study".

Brown eyes stared at Melanie in surprise before Deborah's face settled in a wry expression. "Alright", she conceded. "Where and when?"

"Seven o'clock at my place."

"We won't be bothering your aunt?"

Melanie shook her head. "She has cards tonight with Mrs. Franklin and Laurel's grandmother".

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It was pitch black when Deborah walked up to Melanie's house but that was December for you. December meant darker evenings and the ever threat of snow. The cold wind that blew through Deborah's curly hair told the witch that there would be frost tonight. _Thank god I wore my winter jacket_. Deborah didn't get cold easily but she also had a little way to walk now that she couldn't ride. _Four more weeks till I can get this stupid cast off_, Deb thought as she made her way up the front step. If this was Susan's, Faye's, or the Henderson's house Deb would have just walked right on in but she and Melanie had never really been friends so she rang the doorbell and awkwardly waited on the front porch.

The door swung open to reveal Melanie. She looked pretty in light blue jeans and a green sweater, Deborah noted just as her eyes fell on the jade pendant around her neck. "What is with you and colour green?" Deborah murmured. Melanie frowned and for a moment Deborah thought she looked a little hurt. "I mean, you look nice and all but—"

"Just come in, Deborah".

She shrugged in response before walking through the door. Melanie had a nice house, old-fashioned like most of the houses on Crowhaven road but it was far tidier than Deborah's house. _Probably because her aunt gives a shit about it_, the teenager mused. Deborah's mom seemed more interested in getting as far away from the house and her family that lived there then cleaning. "So…" Deborah started. She had brought over her textbooks and everything, prepared for a night of studying but couldn't help feeling awkward with Melanie. Like this was a first date or something. _Stop that! Just because you saw some books doesn't mean dick!_ This was what Deborah had been telling herself all evening but it hadn't stopped the witch from fantasying that afternoon. The only girl Deb had ever kissed or fooled around with was Faye but that was during Faye's 'experimental' stage and Deborah was hesitant to pick up on any of Faye's hints lately. Not since Faye had betrayed the coven to Black John. Sure, most of it had been Sean but Deborah hadn't forgotten Faye following Black John around like a little puppy.

"So, do you have your notes?" Melanie inquired. When Deborah nodded, Melanie gestured toward the living room. "Why don't we start there and go over your outline?"

"Outline?" Deborah groaned, feeling slightly apprehensive. The living was just as neat and tidy as the hallway she noted before taking a seat on the old fashioned couch. "What outline?"

"Didn't your teacher give you an outline for your class?" Melanie took a seat next to Deborah, her fore head wrinkled slightly.

"Oh, that. Yeah, it's in here somewhere". The curly haired girl swung her backpack onto her lap and started searching. She pulled out the heavy textbook and dropped it on the coffee table before hauling out a messy binder covered in drawings and white out. Some of the drawings were pretty crude and Deborah caught Melanie looking at one of a giant dick. "Doug", she said simply to explain.

"Ah. Understood." Taking the textbook in her slender hands, Melanie absently turned a few pages. "So you're studying Ancient Greece. Which centuries have you focused on?"

"Uhh…the classical era mostly. The fall of Sparta, the rise of Athens, that shit". She handed Melanie the outline.

"Okay", Melanie murmured as she looked over the handout. "Well, let's get started, shall we?"

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Two hours in and Deborah was blown by just how much Melanie knew about Ancient Greece and she was overloaded with various study techniques that Melanie had shown her. Her head felt stuffed. "Alright, I need a break", Deborah said, shaking her head as she climbed to her feet. They had abandoned the couch and hour ago and had sat knee to knee at the coffee table. The awkwardness that Deborah had felt earlier had disappeared and she felt more at ease with Melanie now. The witch suspected the auburn haired girl felt the same.

"Yes, my eyes are blurry from reading", Melanie replied, following Deborah's cue and climbing to her feet and stretching. "Want a coke?"

"Sure. What is that Laurel calls coke? Battery acid?"

Melanie laughed. "Something like that. I think she said coke was worse than acid for your stomach although I highly doubt that". The pair walked to the kitchen in a comfortable silence, their arms occasionally brushing up against each others before they stepped into the well lit kitchen.

"9 o'clock", Deborah noticed. "How late does your aunt play cards?"

"Great aunt", Melanie corrected. "Usually till ten."

While Melanie grabbed a couple of coke cans from the fridge, Deborah made her way to the kitchen window to star out at the sky. "Crescent moon tonight", she mentioned offhand to Melanie as she handed Deborah the coke. Melanie's eyes fell on Deb's collarbone and for a moment Deborah was wondering what she was staring at before remembering her tattoo. She was use to getting looks for the simple crescent tattoo but didn't see why anyone gave a shit about it. It was just a simple black line tattoo, nothing compared to the tattoos Deb saw in her _Flash_ magazines. "Something wrong?" Deb asked, her tone sullen as she caught Melanie's eye.

"No. I was just looking at your tattoo. I always wondered why you chose that symbol".

"Are you kidding me? I thought it was obvious", Deborah laughed as she gave Melanie a side-long look. "The crescent is sacred to the goddess plus it's a pretty powerful symbol".

A small smile crept over Melanie's lips. "I always think of Artemis when I look at a crescent".

Deborah nodded, "Well, she was one of the moon goddesses".

"You know, Diana based that print she did on you".

"I figured. It looked similar to me...just like the Athena picture reminds me of you. Not surprising, we're kinda like them, aren't we?" Deborah leaned against the kitchen counter as she opened her coke and took a mouthful. "You're the wise, responsible one while I'm more likely to feed a guy to a pack of dogs", she continued sardonically.

Melanie snorted, nearly chocking on her coke. "I don't that's the only quality you share with Artemis".

"True. She was tough and didn't take shit from anyone either". Deborah paused, staring at Melanie before continuing. "She also didn't care much for guys". Another pause. "Neither did Athena, come to think of it".

The other girl was staring at Deborah now, a serious light in her grey eyes. "You're going to tell the others, aren't you?"

Deborah was kinda surprised by the question. "Tell them what?"

"That you think I'm gay".

Christ, Melanie looked nervous. She raised an eyebrow at the auburn girl. "No. Why would I tell them anything? It's none of their fucking business what you are. And who cares what I think anyway?" Deborah added. "It doesn't matter if I think you're gay. What matters is what you think", she finished gruffly.

"I don't know".

"You don't know what you think or--"

Melanie interrupted again, her face flushing once more. This was unfamiliar territory for her and it frightened Melanie enough to make her lose her cool. "I don't know if I'm gay, I just...I can't be gay. I can't. I've dated boys but--" She broke off, unsure what to say. Unsure how to explain how she felt to Deborah. "I don't know".

"Well, find out then."

"How?" Melanie looked so hopeless at that moment, so much so that Deborah had to do something. She laid down the can of coke and calmly walked up to Melanie before she leaned in and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, gentle at first, so much so that once Melanie got over the shock she didn't feel the urge to push Deborah away. If anything, she wanted the brunette closer to her. Melanie pushed her own lips against Deborah's, her body moving closer to the others petite form. She wanted the moment to last and was disappointed when Deborah pulled away.

"Well?" Deborah looked at Melanie questioningly, a little nervous even. Melanie smiled.

"Maybe we should try it again, just to be sure".


End file.
